Diictodon
'Diictodon' (name meaning "''Two Weasel Tooth") is a genus of pylaecephalid ￼￼dicynodont that originated during the Late Permian Era in what is now Asia and Africa. A small, herbivorous mammal-like reptilian creature, it was one of the few survivors of the Permian mass extinction. In the episode "Desert Community Water Hole", several pairs of Diictodon were brought back to the park from Siberia 250 million years ago. They reside in a small desert-like enclosure with bushes and a small pond. However, their burrows are dug deep and people are able to view them. Facts Era & Discovery Diictodon lived in Asia and Africa during the Late Permian period 260-250 million years ago. It was among the smallest animal of its time. Diictodon was first discovered by Sir Richard Owen in 1876. Physical Attributes Diictodon was a small animal, measuring approximately 45 cm (1.47 ft) in length. They had a barrel-like body with four, strong legs that possessed six clawed digits on each hand, and a large head which ended in a small beak with a pair of tusks protruding from the upper-jaw. Diictodon also had large round eyes and white and brown patterns on their skin. They possessed a long, barrel-like, and slender body. Though both male and female Diictodon ''both possess a short pair of short tusks protruding from the sides of its beak, the males were larger than the females. Like the large predatory ''Inostrancevia, Diictodon were distant reptile relatives of mammals and although the first true mammals didn't evolve until about 30 million years after the Permian, there was already family resemblances in Diictodon. In particular, their hearing was linked to tiny bones in their lower jaw. These eventually evolved into the middle ear bones for humans, something no reptile has ever had. Behavior & Traits More adaptable than the other animals in its era, Diictodon lived in pairs in deeply dug, spiral-shaped burrows, which even in the desert heat remained cool. This way of life allowed them to survive in sand storms, and they found underground plant roots and tubers that held enough water and nutrients to keep them going for several months. Despite having a strong bond between each other, they were aggressive towards other pairs. With food scarce in the late Permian, they would constantly fight over the smallest plants. These teeth were used for fighting off other Diictodon as well as scraping roots and tubers. These tusks were useless when it came to digging as they would break or blunt. Several pairs of Diictodon ''would be more in comparison to a neighborhood rather than a colony. They competed ferociously for the sparse vegetation that is their food. And this frequently led to confrontations. These clashes were one reason why both males and females sported a pair of short tusks. However, ''Diictodon did have one advantage when living in a crowd. If a neighbor spotted danger, then everyone soon knew about it and could take action to protect themselves. Diictodon were notable for their ability to and habit of chewing up practically anything they could - ranging from papers and clothing to cables, cage mesh and electrical wiring. Diictodon were not very aggressive creatures, and were highly playful and could be considered 'cute' with each other, and were also willing to socialize with other small herbivores such as Coelurosauravus. Journal Entry Gallery 1000px-Diictodon_digging.jpg|Diictodon digging Diictodon_bbc.jpg Diictodon_leaving_burrow.png Trivia * Diictodon is among the smallest creatures brought to the park. * The sound effects of Diictodon are that of gopher, ground-hog, and raccoon sounds. Category:Prehistoric Animals Category:Permian animals Category:Monsters (Life Before Dinosaurs) Category:Creature of Interest Category:Reptiles Category:Synapsids